On a court striped navy blue with a gold trophy insignia for the in-season NBA Cup tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans (4-5) fell 115-109 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a closely fought game Friday at the Smoothie King Center.

The Timberwolves had three starters score more than 20 points, and they bested the Pelicans physically as the Pelicans' four-game winning streak was snapped.

With Trey Murphy back from an injury and in the lineup, the Pelicans trailed 13-5 after three minutes, falling victim to hot Timberwolves shooting. Despite a response of four 3-pointers from center Karlo Matkovic, who scored 16 points in the first quarter, the Pelicans trailed 57-51 at halftime.

Entering the game ranked second in fastbreak points, the Pelicans scored 30 such points, 11 more than their average. The Timberwolves answered with physicality, fouling out wing Herb Jones with 10:43 left and seizing control of the fourth quarter.

The game was fraught with brush-ups throughout. In the second quarter, Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Zion Williamson locked each other up while vying for a loose ball when Gobert appeared to hook Williamson’s shoulder. His action drew Williamson’s ire and a technical foul.

In the third quarter, Williamson received his own technical foul when he expressed frustration after a no-call as he pursued a loose pass.

Jones and Gobert’s tensions simmered in the third and fourth quarters, with Jones receiving a technical shortly after fouling out.

The 7-foot-1 Gobert’s defensive deterrence and towering frame played an outsized role for the Timberwolves, who were without star guard Anthony Edwards. A game after beginning the first half scoreless against the Utah Jazz, Williamson also played a bit role on offense in the first half Friday, shooting just three times and scoring two points.

But like in Wednesday’s game against Utah, Williamson once again began the second half with aggression, with 11 points added in the third quarter while drawing fouls and attacking the basket. The Pelicans took a lead on a driving, contested layup by backup center Trendon Watford, who sparked a 12-2 run and helped the Pelicans win the quarter by eight. Watford scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds in the third quarter alone.

The Pelicans won the third quarter by eight, leading 79-77 heading into the fourth quarter before the Timberwolves reclaimed the advantage. The Pelicans closed the gap to five with 2:53 left, but they couldn’t claw all the way back.

The Pelicans will play the Los Angeles Clippers on the road Sunday. The next NBA Cup group action game for the team is Friday night agaisnt the Memphis Grizzlies.